Did the beads of sweat wake you up, leaving with restless sleep the whole night, and now you desperately want to know about the best ac temperature for sleeping? Then cheer up, buddy, as this article covers all the nitty-gritty of it.
Studies have shown that room temperature directly impacts the quality and quantity of sleep. Whether a stuffy hot room or a cool, breezy room, both leave us in an uncomfortable sleeping environment, thus aggravating stress hormones and insomnia symptoms.
Therefore, finding the ideal ac temperature that provides a happy medium between two extremities is important to enjoy sound catnaps.
So, let’s grasp a cup of coffee and dwell on the next section to unravel the mysterious temperature together.
Does Poor Temperature Regulation Impact Sleep? A Few Stats!
Before getting into the details of the best ac temperature for sleeping and how temperature affects our sleep cycle, let’s look at a few pieces of research that prove how room temperature impacts sleep patterns.
- A study done in 2008 showed that poor room temperature, either too high or too low, runs parallel with insomnia.
- A 2019 research shows that poor airflow and ventilation in the room lead to a significant reduction in rapid eye movement REM. As a result, it elevates stress and anxiety hormones in the body and affects mental health.
- Another research in 2012 highlighted that poor temperature regulation in room temperature decreases slow-wave sleep. Hence, it promotes wakeful nights with no or disturbed sleep.
So, in short, sleeping in any of the two extreme temperatures makes it impossible for us to enjoy quality sleep.
What Is the Best AC Temperature for Sleeping?
A room with an ideal temperature range helps us doze faster and for a longer time. Generally, a temperature decrease of up to 3 degrees celsius occurs when we sleep. So, a comparatively lower temperature must be present to regulate body temperature and release extra heat from the body extremities.
The best ac temperature for sleeping is somewhere between 60°F to 67°F (15.6°C to 19.4°C).
The body temperature shifts and regulates during the 24 hours of the day according to circadian rhythm. It hovers around
- 37 degrees celsius during the day
- at its peak at 6 p.m.
- at its lowest temperature around 4 a.m.
When the sleep hormones begin to rise, we start to feel sleepy, and our body starts to release heat to decrease the body temperature by a few degrees. Therefore, a room temperature cooler than the body temperature is necessary to remove the extra heat and regulate the body temperature.
How Does Ideal Room Temperature Help You Sleep Longer?
A good, well-ventilated room temperature not only helps you catch some sound forty winks earlier but also lets you enjoy them for a longer time.
Actually, sleep homeostasis revolves around the seesaw of adenosine and melatonin hormones. During the day, the melatonin level is low, while that of Adenosine increases. However, at night the reverse happens. When you sleep in a cooler room at night, the body temperature starts to regulate quickly. As a result, the rate of vasodilation increases, removing more heat, and increasing the production of melatonin- the sleep hormone.
Moreover, it increases the REM sleep time of the body, which ceases the temperature regulation of the human body.
How Does Too Hot or Too Cold Temperature Impact Your Sleep?
Where an ideal room temperature helps us to enjoy sound naps, a too hot or too cold temperature leaves us with restless nights.
1. Too Hot
A too-hot room temperature leads to a significant reduction in REM sleep and slow-wave sleep in the body. As a result, you find it difficult to sleep, leading to fatigue, grogginess, and sleepy days.
2. Too Cold
Similarly, setting ac to too low results in a very cold room temperature for the human body. It dampens the cortisol awakening response CAR of the body. The CAR is particularly an alertness-boosting hormone that is at its peak during the day and helps to keep us alert and active throughout the day. So, when the body encounters a very cold temperature, cortisol level increases, thus contributing in keeping sleep at bay.
How Does Bad Sleep Affect Your health?
A bad sleeping pattern affects our health drastically. It slumbers us with a number of health problems, a few of which are:
- Weakened immunity
- Escalate anxiety and depression symptoms
- High blood pressure
- More prone to heart disease and obesity
- Lack to concentration
- Poor body Coordination
- Increase risk of diabetes
Some Additional Sleeping Tips
Apart from setting the room temperature to the ideal ac range, there are a few additional tips that you can opt for to enjoy quality Zzzs. A few of these are:
- Take a warm bath half hour before sleeping
- Practice yoga
- Listen to white music or mind-relaxing sounds
- Turn off the lights of the room
- Sleep on your back, which is the ideal sleeping position
- Avoid taking caffeine 4 to 6 hours before sleep
- Limit exposure to blue light near bedtime
Moreover, it is advisable to download a sleep tracker to get a detailed report of your sleep quality. One of the most trusted sleep trackers is ShutEye . It analyses your sleep the entire night and generates a sleep report along with a doctor’s recommendations the following day.
Conclusion- One Last Thought!
Catching healthy naps are essential for the fit and mindful functioning of the human body. Therefore, it is elementary to set ac to the ideal temperature range in hot summers. It helps to regulate your body’s thermoregulation and sleep homeostasis, thus helping us get better and deep sleep.
So, set the ac to the ideal temperature range, and enjoy the peaceful Zzzs once again. Moreover, download ShutEye to monitor your sleep progress!